6 lug knuckles/spindles w/ 5 lug hubs?

[bgaidan]

Is there any way to do it?

I've already got newly rebuilt chevy flat tops that have been milled/drilled/tapped and now I've decided to go with a 9" in the rear...so I need to get 5 lug in the front to match.

Am I screwed and should I start looking for some ford flat tops or is there a way around it?

[d.d.machine]

you can swap on 5 lug hubs if your spindles are the big bearing or you can have your hubs and rotors redrilled for 5 lug .... I have redrilled a lot and for me it has worked GREAT..

Not to be a jurk but if you type in the search what your looking for a TON of stuff well come up on it. It gets posted a lot

[turtlehead]

True, a search would have helped, but to answer you question: you need pre ~74 Chevy/full size Jeep large bearing spindles (the step between the outer wheel bearing and the inner is no more than 1/16" or so, it it very different than the small bearing ones), Chevy brake backing plates, Chevy brake calipers, and mid 80's Ford F150 hub & rotors. This combination will give you a 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern with you flat top knuckles. Good Luck.

[CSP]

Originally Posted by turtlehead

True, a search would have helped, but to answer you question: you need pre ~74 Chevy/full size Jeep large bearing spindles.

Pre-74 would mean '73 and older. That would be incorrect. Dana 44's weren't even used in full size Jeeps prior to '74.

The correct years are '74-77 Chevy/full size Jeep.

[bgaidan]

Sweet - thanks for the info! I was hoping there would be a relatively cheap and easy solution to this - already dropped over $200 getting the chevy knuckles rebuilt.

I take it this is a big bearing spindle?

[reddman]

yes

[bgaidan]

Not sure I get the reason for using the big bearing spindle. Or is the mid-80's hub/rotor different from earlier fords?

I have been searching for the past couple days but everybody seems to say something different.

I found this one:

Originally Posted by got 4wd

finishing up this same conversion today, as my BJ spanner wrench finally came.
anyhow heres what i did
78 F-250 R44 Housing
76 Grand Waggy Knuckles (Flat Top)
76 K-10 Spindles (small bearing)
85 Grand Waggy Caliper (same banjo bolt size as my stock TJ, 3/8)
76 Grand Waggy Backing Plates
79 Ford f-150 Hub and Rotor
79 Ford F-150 Wheel Bearings and Seals (set 45 and 37)
78 Ford F-250 Inner Axle Shafts
85 Grand Waggy Outter Stub Shafts

I think that pretty much covers it. i bought most everything new from napa so i compiled this list so when i need to give them vehicle info that corosponds with the part i need, i can remember what jives.

Would that setup work only using '76 Chevy backing plates and calipers with '79 ford hubs and rotors?

[ddestruel]

IIRC the dodge rotors and hubs with dodge backing plates can be used with big bearing spindle. Now i could be wrong with saying this but that rings a bell. otherwise turn the big bearing spindles down to fit the Ford/ and pre 77 jeep bearings and put the 79-85 and a few more years around there ford hubs and rotors on and uses the jeep chevy backing plates and calipers

http://www.jeepgod.net/d44625.html

[bgaidan]

But what's the point of the big bearing spindles in the first place? I already have a set of small bearing ones and I'm seeing conflicting posts that say they will or will not work.

The way I'm reading it I'll have to have the big bearing ones machined down to fit....seems like extra work if the small bearing ones will work from the start.

[CSP]

The confusion may lie in the descriptions you're seeing. The big bearing spindle has the smaller diamter for the inner spindle. The big bearing spindle has a smaller inner diameter. It is the one that the Ford hub fits on. The other spindle has a bigger diameter for the inner bearing, but the bearing itself is smaller with a larger ID.

You don't machine down a big bearing spindle as it's already smaller in diameter where the inner bearing sits.

Does that help?

[OTR]

No, No, No.

You want a '73 to '76 (not 76.5) GM/jeep SMALL bearing spindle to use the Ford 5on5.5 hubs. In 76.5, jeep went to the "large" bearing spindle and hubs.

Search.

Or just look Here (From Mr. N's site)

Option 1: Use a mix of Chevy/FSJ and Ford parts. You'll need a Chevy or Full Size Jeep Dana 44 flat top knuckles, spindle, caliper mount plate and outer axle shaft from a 73-76, see chart for exact years and BOM. To convert these to the Ford 5 on 5.5” (also the same bolt pattern as a Jeep CJ, Scout II and many other vehicles) you’ll need a 1976-1984 or 1987-1995 Ford hub, rotor and bearing. My suggestion is use 76-79 parts, but you can use an 80’s Ford IFS Dana 44 (minus 1986 and some 85 as they had a unique style.) Pull the hub with the bearings, rotor and lock-out. Any standard Dana 44 ½ ton or Chevy ½ ton 10 bolt axle lock outs should work, and spare are always good.
#

Option 2: Use only Ford parts. One catch, you'll need a 1/2 Super-Cab knuckle, see above General misconceptions table for reason. If you have a nice Ford 1/2 ton axle with new calipers and rotor I suggest just find in a knuckle from a 1/2 Super-Cab, as that is the only part you'll need. (Note to self, check spindle part numbers in Dana book to confirm this) Or you can just grab the entire Knuckles Out from a 1/2 Super-Cab and bolt it up to your inner knuckle.
#

Option 3: Run IHC or Dodge parts. Because of the IHC 8 bolt spindle and the limited years plus the few truck produced I don't recommend this option. Save those knuckles for the Scout guys, plus you've have to swap knuckles out and the parts cast more. Dodge parts knuckles out because of the uniqueness of them(?), years are 1980.5 - 93 and 86 and up is an auto or fulltime hub.

The "small" and "large" refers to the inner wheel bearing on the spindle. The "small" bearing has a Smaller I.D. and is the bearing that the Ford hub uses. Therefor the "small" bearing works only with a "small" bearing GM/jeep spindle.

kris.

[bgaidan]

Fuck...this is getting too complicated.

According to Mr. N, I should be able to use spindles from a '76 Chevy 1/2 ton. With the hubs from the '79 Bronco, correct?

This is the '76 Chevy spindle on the left and an '79 Bronco spindle on the right. They don't look very similar around the base of the bearing inner bearing surface. Is this the right spindle for what I want to do?

[bamacj7]

Maby I can add to the confusion. Working on a scout 44 front, need to match bolt patterns with my 9" rear. "Called Parts Mike" This is what I am using.

PM high steer knuckles, 71-76 chevy small bearing 6 bolt spindals "#dan706528x", ford bearings "tk lm501349 and tk lm603049" and seal "ns 4250" . 79 ford bronco hub and rotors, 75 gm k series caliper and support. Most of this was dropped off today so I havent tried to put it together yet. All numbers are off of the invoice from Parts Mike. Hope this helps.

[OTR]

Dont confuse the seal surface for the inner bearing surface...



The bearings on the spindle are from a Ford 5 bolt hub. The Ford 5 on 5.5 hub, and the 73-76 jeep/GM 6 on 5.5 hub , use the same inner and outer bearings.

Does this help you ?


kris.

[CSP]

Originally Posted by OTR

The "small" and "large" refers to the inner wheel bearing on the spindle. The "small" bearing has a Smaller I.D. and is the bearing that the Ford hub uses. Therefor the "small" bearing works only with a "small" bearing GM/jeep spindle.

It's called semantics dude and there's more than one way to look at it.

Here's the opposite thinking of your definition. If the ID is smaller with the same OD, the bearing itself has a larger surface area and thus larger.

You say tomayto, I say tomahto.

[bgaidan]

OK - thanks for the repplies! Think I got it worked out now...


The Ford hubs obviously had a small bearing spindle and therefore I need a small bearing Chevy spindle to match them. Easy enough.

[bgaidan]

OK, issue #2:

What outer shafts do I use. The chevy ones are about 1/4 - 3/8" longer than the Ford ones. Gut feeling tells me to use the Chevy ones. Any comments?

[ddestruel]

listen to the butterflies in your Stomach they are steering you right

[bgaidan]

Gracias!!

Thanks for everyone's help! I'll post a followup in a couple weeks whenever I get this stuff assembled.